architectural beauty. Its Patron Saint was the contemporary of St.
Columba, a devout, miracle-working apostle, who converted the King of
the Strathclyde Britons to Christianity and gained a victory for the
Cross of Christ over the wild people who inhabited these parts. A
cathedral was built here in Norman times. It was begun in 1124 and
consecrated in 1192 in the presence of King David of Scotland. Before
the century had closed fire destroyed this ancient church. But a new
one was immediately begun, and five years later a portion of the
building was so far finished that it was fit for consecration. About
1258 the fine Early English choir was completed. It is one of the best
works of the thirteenth century in Scotland. The style of architecture
followed closely the Early English of the northern type. The windows
are deeply moulded on both sides, and the piers are strong and massive
without clustering shafts. But Scotland at an early date developed
peculiarities in her architecture which differed from English art. We
see this in the use of the double lancet and simple tracery, whereas
in England the lancets were widened. The influence of French
architecture was not yet felt, though there was a distinct difference
from the English usage. We see also that the choir has two storeys,
the lower or crypt being entirely above the ground. Mr. Watson has
recently published a learned work on this double choir, and gives
excellent reasons for assuming that the vault of the "lower church"
was built at five different periods, extending over half a century.
His first period (_circa_ 1220) includes only the south-east
compartment. Then followed the north and south aisles with the
springers of the south middle portion. The lower church was then left
unfinished until the upper church had been built. The central portion
of the lower church was then vaulted (_circa_ 1260), and later still
the eastern aisle and chapel. Mr. Watson's conclusions have not been
universally accepted, but they are certainly worthy of credence. A few
years later the tower and transepts were finished. Bishop Wishart took
the part of Bruce as a loyal Scot against Edward I. and his attempted
conquest, and suffered a long imprisonment. A disaster happened to the
steeple in 1400, when it was struck by lightning. Bishop Lauder
erected a stone one. The chapter-house was built by Bishop Cameron in
the Perpendicular style. The rood-screen, with its curious sculpture,
was the work of Bishop Blackadder, and also the great staircase
leading to the crypt or lower church. At the close of the fifteenth
century Glasgow became the seat of an archbishopric. Beaton, the
nephew of the more famous Cardinal, finding that he lived in times
dangerous for prelates, fortified his Palace and stored therein all
the plate and precious things he could find, and then carried them off
to Paris. The Cathedral happily was spared when the storm of
contending forces at the Reformation raged, though it was long
disused. The archbishop was in France, and Episcopacy was not in
favour. With the advent of James VI. of Scotland to the throne of
England Episcopacy was restored, and Spottiswood became Bishop of
Glasgow. Then during the civil war Cromwell came here during the
Presbyterian rule, but Episcopacy was restored with the monarchy,
until it vanished again with the coming of Dutch William.
Much has been done during the past century in the way of
"restoration." Two western towers have been bodily removed. The glass
is modern and is almost entirely the work of foreign artists. The
great east window was the gift of Queen Victoria. From the close we
gain a fine view of the necropolis, which abounds in the sculptured
tombs and monuments so dear to Scotland's sons.
IONA CATHEDRAL
We must now journey to the ruined shrine of Iona, the cradle of
Western Christianity, the place whence flowed the stream of missionary
enterprise which watered the dry furrows of northern England as well
as Scotland, and caused Christianity to flourish throughout the
country. We owe much to this lonely isle where St. Columba landed in
563 and built his rude monastery, the forerunner of the ruined
buildings which now greet us. This isle could tell us of many a scene
of carnage when the wild Norse pirates came. The Cathedral was begun
in the Early English period, and is cruciform. The tower, 75 feet
high, has two fine windows. The capitals are beautifully carved,
though they are much weather-worn owing to the roofless condition of
the church. On the north side are the remains of the monastery; a
Norman arcade shows that it is older than the present Cathedral; and
on the south is the Chapel of St. Oran, the companion of St. Columba.
It is of early date, probably founded in the eleventh century by Queen
Margaret when the isles were wrested by Scotland from the Norsemen.
Its western doorway is Norman with beak-head ornament. In the _Reilig
Oiran_, or cemetery of kings, lie buried forty-eight Scottish, four
Irish, and eight Scandinavian monarchs, together with many abbots and
monks and chieftains, a veritable Valhalla of the great. The carved
sepulchral stones and crosses of Iona are noble examples of early art,
the interlacing work sculptured upon them being wonderfully intricate
and beautiful. The two most perfect crosses are Maclean's cross and
St. Martin's, one of the most beautiful and perfect in Christendom. A
nunnery was founded here in Norman times, and traces of Norman
architecture are evident in the ruins. In 1208 a colony of Benedictine
monks was established here by one Reginald, the heir of the Abbot of
Derry, who handed over the nunnery to the guidance of his sister
Beatrice. There was a close connection between Iona and Norway, and
for a long time the bishopric of the Isles was united with that of the
Isle of Man. At the present time the bishop of that island is known as
the Bishop of Sodor and Man, Sodor being a corruption of Sud Ja, or
southern island, so called by the Norwegian Vikings, who long held
rule here. The monastery was destroyed in 1561. Iona was a
much-esteemed seat of learning, and was much frequented by pilgrims.
It was long regarded as the isle of special sanctity, and kings and
warriors from far and near were brought here to be laid in their last
resting-place near the sacred tomb of Columba. Few places have so
great a fascination as this sacred isle.
BRECHIN CATHEDRAL
Brechin has many interesting features, notably its half-finished
Cathedral, the famous round tower which was undoubtedly connected with
it, or an earlier shrine, and the ruins of the _Maison Dieu_ or
hospitium founded by William of Brechin in 1256. The old Cathedral was
founded by King David of Scotland in 1150. It is a plain and
unpretentious building, now used as a parish church, and it has
suffered much from restorers and renovators. Its plan was originally
cruciform, but some vandals at the beginning of the eighteenth century
entirely destroyed the transepts. The west window and doorway are
thirteenth-century work. Most drastic treatment did this church
receive in 1806, when besides the destruction of the transepts, the
aisles were removed, and new and larger ones erected. The renovators
were not satisfied with the old arches of the nave; so they built new
and wider ones, and raised the walls, so that one roof could span the
whole, and thus eclipsing the clerestory windows. The south side of
the nave seems later than the north. Its piers are lighter than those
on the opposite side. At the north side of the choir are three lancet
windows. The church is disfigured by galleries and pews. The ruins of
the chapel of the _Maison Dieu_ are small but interesting. An Early
English doorway and a few lancet windows remain. The _Round Tower_ is
the principal architectural feature of Brechin. Ireland possesses many
of these curious structures, and besides this one Scotland has only
one other, the tower at Abernethy. Its date is about 980. The object
of such towers is mainly to provide a place of refuge in times of
attack, where the monks could store their treasures and protect
themselves. They may also have been used as belfries, and their origin
is certainly ecclesiastical. There is no staircase, access to the top
being gained by ladders resting on wooden floors. The height is 86
feet, the thickness of the wall near the base 4 feet, and the inner
diameter 8 feet. An octagonal spire crowns the summit. There is a
doorway on the west which is adorned with rude carvings. Over the
doorway is a carved representation of the Crucifixion, and on either
side of the door are ecclesiastics, and below are strange creatures
realistically carved. These figures are interesting memorials of
Celtic art.
ABERDEEN CATHEDRAL
One mile north of the large and flourishing city is the quiet, ancient
town of Old Aberdeen. Here is the Cathedral of St. Machar, built
entirely of granite. It is not remarkable for its sculptured elegance
or vast dimensions, but it has an interesting history, and its flat
panelled ceiling, adorned with numerous heraldic shields, is a
distinguishing feature. The church is small, and is only 200 feet in
length. Its Patron Saint was a companion of St. Columba, who journeyed
here on his missionary work, and founded a church about the year 597.
A second church was begun in 1183, but this was not equal to the
ambition of Bishop Cheyne, and was destroyed by him in order to make
way for a better. This again was superseded by a church begun by
Bishop Kinnimond, in 1357, but the work progressed slowly, and not
until the rule of Bishop Leighton (1422-1440) was the nave finished
with the north transept and west towers. The roof was added by his
successor, Bishop Lindsay, and the central tower and spire by Bishop
Elphinstone, who began the ill-fated choir. Bishop Stewart built the
chapter-house. The troubles of the Reformation and of the Civil War
wrought much havoc. The lead was torn from the roof; the bells were
shipped off to Holland and lost at sea. The stones of the choir were
used for fortifications by Cromwell's troops; the great tower fell and
destroyed the transepts, and all that remains of this church is the
nave. The west front is an imposing piece of work. The west window
consists of seven lofty narrow openings, with cusped arches at the
head. The towers, capped with spires, are very massive in their
granite ruggedness. There are five bays in the nave, with round piers,
Decorated arches, no triforium, and small clerestory windows. On the
ceiling are forty-eight heraldic shields of princes, nobles and
bishops who aided in the erection of the church.
King's College, founded by Bishop Elphinstone in 1498, should be
visited. The original oak canopied stalls, _misereres_, and lofty open
screen in the chapel, are some of the finest work of the period. The
influence of the French Flamboyant style is evident in their
execution. These beautiful works of art were saved from destruction
by the bravery of the Principal, who summoned his people, and
protected his treasures from the fury of the barons of Mearns, after
they had sacked the Cathedral.
DUNBLANE CATHEDRAL
This Cathedral is one of the few specimens of Gothic art in Scotland
which escaped destruction at the Reformation. Nearly all the building
is Early English, except the tower, which is Early Norman. Ruskin
wrote his praise of this edifice:--
"He was no uncommon man who designed the Cathedral of Dunblane.
I know nothing so perfect in its simplicity, and so beautiful,
so far as it reaches, in all the Gothic with which I am
acquainted. And just in proportion to his power of mind, that
man was content to work under Nature's teaching, and instead of
putting merely formal dog-tooth, as everybody else did at that
time, he went down to the woody banks of the sweet river,
beneath the rocks of which he was building, and took up a few
of the fallen leaves that lay by it, and he set them on his
arch, side by side for ever."
There was an early church on this site founded by St. Blane. This
early church was superseded in 1150 by one erected by King David of
Scotland. All that remains of this church is the fine Norman tower.
The rest of the church fell into ruin and neglect, until the time of
Bishop Clement, who, about 1240, began to build this beautiful church
in Early English style. At the Reformation great damage was done, when
over-zealous Protestants pulled down the roof and carried off much
plate and treasure. For centuries the nave remained in this condition;
the choir and chapter-house were roofed over, in order to form a
parish church; and now a great restoration of the church has recently
taken place. A new roof has been erected, after the fashion of the
Cathedral church of Aberdeen, with its heraldic devices, and the whole
church repaired and beautified.
The west front is Early English in design, with lancet windows, a
deeply-recessed doorway, and in the gable a window with the leaf
decoration praised by Ruskin. The nave has eight bays, and is Late
Early English. The pulpit is modern, and also the screen. The choir
has no aisles, and has six lancet windows, with a large east window.
The stall-work of sixteenth-century is beautifully carved, and there
are some interesting grotesques. On the west side of the choir is the
chapter-house, which is the earliest part of the present church, with
the exception of the tower, and has an upper room, possibly used as a
treasury or _Reclusorium_. The tower is an important structure, of
Early Norman character, and doubtless served the same purpose as the
round towers of Ireland and Brechin, affording shelter in case of
attack. There are good reasons for believing that originally it was
separate from the church. The upper portion was added later. A fine
view can be obtained from the summit. There are some interesting
monuments in the Cathedral, and in the churchyard is the tomb of the
heroine of the song, "Charming young Jessie, the flower of Dunblane."
DUNKELD CATHEDRAL
The first church was founded by Constantin, King of the Picts, about
800 A.D., and the Culdees were established in a monastery here. In
1107 it became the seat of a bishopric, and a colony of Augustinian
canons replaced the former dwellers. A new choir was built in
1220-1250, in the Early English style. During the wars with England,
in 1380, it was burnt, but almost immediately restored. The nave was
finished by Bishop Lauder in 1465. He was a most munificent prelate,
who did much for his Cathedral, began the tower and chapter-house, and
furnished the Cathedral with gifts of much valuable church plate.
There is a curious story[21] of a Highlanders' raid, and of their
entry to the church, and of the bishop's perilous escape to the
rafters of his church, in order to escape their hands. On another
occasion the church was besieged in the time of the famous Bishop
Gavin Douglas, the translator of the _Æneid_ (1576). His election to
the see was opposed by the Stewarts, the inveterate enemies of his
house; and Andrew Stewart barred the door against him, and fought
against him from his stronghold in the tower. Douglas soon gathered
his friendly clans together, and forced an entrance. It is uncertain
when the nave lost its roof, probably when certain lairds at the
Reformation went on their base crusade, plundering and destroying
churches, and seizing their goods and valuables.
After the battle of Killiecrankie there was a great fight here, and an
asylum of refuge was found here by the people, who fortified their
position with the seats, and did much damage. The roof was destroyed,
and the nave has been ever since exposed to the storms of wind and
rain. The choir is now used as the parish church, having been rebuilt.
The nave has seven bays, and measures 120 feet by 60 feet. The piers
are of massive Norman character, and there is a somewhat poor
triforium and clerestory. The original choir was built by Bishop
Sinclair in 1350. The tower, 96 feet high, is Perpendicular, the work
of Bishop Lauder (1469), and finished by Bishop Brown in 1501, and is
a very good example of the style. The south porch was built by Lauder,
but it is now in ruins. The chapter-house is the work of the same
bishop. It contains the vault of the Dukes of Athol. Here, near the
porch, is buried Alexander Stuart, Earl of Buchan, better known as the
"Wolf of Badenoch" (1394), who burned down Elgin Cathedral and
devastated the place. Few churches have passed through such stormy
scenes as Dunkeld, and its ruined state is a melancholy testimony to
the lawlessness of the tumultuous times, which have left their mark
upon its desecrated walls.
FOOTNOTE:
[21] _Scottish Cathedrals and Abbeys_, by M.E. Leicester Addis.
ST. ANDREW'S CATHEDRAL
Of the once great Cathedral of St. Andrew, the Primatical See of
Scotland, few traces are left. Its consecration in the time of Robert
Bruce was marked by unparalleled pomp and circumstance. All the most
distinguished in Church and State were present, no less than seven
bishops and fifteen abbots, the king and well-nigh all the flower of
his nobility. It was originally founded by Bishop Arnold (1159-1162).
Its plan was cruciform, and was 355 feet in length, and the nave 200
feet, and there was a Lady Chapel at the east end. It had a grand
central tower, and six turrets, of which three remain. A fire partly
destroyed it in 1378, but it was restored and embellished, and
finished in 1440. In 1559 John Knox preached a fiery sermon in the
town church, which led the magistrates and inhabitants of the city to
plunder the Cathedral and strip it of its altars and ornaments. The
whole church was ransacked and left to fall into ruin. Soon the
central tower fell, and carried with it the north wall; and since then
the church has been used as a quarry. The ruins are picturesque in
their decay. All that remain are the east and west gables, part of
the south wall of the nave and the west wall of the south transept.
The style of these ruins is partly Norman and partly Early English.
Under the east window, built up in the wall, is a curious Runic
inscription. The Castle at St. Andrews is closely connected with the
Cathedral, as it was built by Bishop Roger in the thirteenth century
as an episcopal residence. The old Castle was destroyed in the
fourteenth century, and soon afterwards rebuilt. Here Cardinal Beaton
was murdered, who had witnessed the burning of Wishart in front of his
Castle. The Bottle Dungeon is a curious place of incarceration, and,
besides the towers and walls, there is an interesting subterranean
passage which enabled persons to escape from the Castle in time of
siege.
ST. GILES' CATHEDRAL, EDINBURGH
Edinburgh was not raised to episcopal rank until the time of Charles
I. The church has a great history, though it is popularly remembered
as the place where Jenny Geddes threw her stool at the dean, when the
English service book was introduced in the time of Charles I. The
first Church of St. Giles was consecrated in 1243, but it was burnt
down during the English wars, when most of the city shared the same
fate. Indeed, signs of fire may still be detected on the piers of the
choir and elsewhere. The church is remarkable for its numerous
chapels. On the south of the nave two were built in 1387, but these
have been destroyed by drastic "restoration." There are the Chambers's
Memorial Chapel, the Preston Aisle, named after one William Preston,
who brought from France a relic of the Patron Saint; the Chapman
Aisle, named after Chapman, the "Scottish Caxton," who introduced
printing into Scotland, and the Moray Aisle. During the fifteenth
century much building was in progress. The choir was lengthened, a
clerestory added and the roof raised, and ere the century had elapsed
it was raised to the dignity of a collegiate church. The choir is a
fine example of fifteenth-century work, and the Gothic crown which
surmounts the central tower forms a very distinguishing feature. It is
unlike anything else we know. Few scenes and events in Scottish
history have not in some way been connected with this church. We see
John Knox preaching violently here against the iniquities of the
court, and especially of the unfortunate Queen Mary. Knox was
appointed minister of the church. It was divided into three
portions--the Great and Little Kirk and the Tolbooth. Then in the time
of James I. Episcopacy was restored, and in 1633 Charles I. made St.
Giles into a Cathedral. Here Jenny Geddes, as we have said, expressed
her displeasure at the new English liturgy by throwing her stool at
the clergyman, and commenced the famous riot which had lamentable
results. Later on we see the struggle between the Covenanters and the
Royal Party, and the head of the Duke of Argyll stuck on a spike on a
gable of the Cathedral, the advent of "Bonny Prince Charlie," and all
the events of Scottish history seem to be associated in some way with
St. Giles'. Its war-worn banners, its monuments of national heroes,
all combine to add a peculiar interest to the building. The church
owes much of its present beauty to the munificence of Dr. William
Chambers, who rescued the building from neglect, and renewed and
beautified it. He was one of the firm of the great Edinburgh
publishers. Amongst other memorials of recent worthies we find a
window to R.L. Stevenson, and in the Moray Chapel a monument to
General Wauchope, who was killed gallantly leading his troops in the
recent war in South Africa. Although the choir is fifteenth-century
work, it differs much from that of the same period in England. In
Scotland French influence was much felt in the development of
architecture, and the builders inclined more to the French Flamboyant
rather than to the English Perpendicular.
The new Cathedral of the Episcopal Church of Scotland at Edinburgh,
designed by Sir G. Scott, is one of the finest and largest of our
modern Gothic buildings.
KIRKWALL CATHEDRAL
If we journey to the remote Orkneys we shall see a noble Cathedral at
Kirkwall, which is of peculiar interest. Until the year 1472 these
islands belonged to Norway, and were under the episcopal supervision
of the Archbishop of Drontheim in that kingdom. The Cathedral is
therefore connected with the rule of Norwegian earls and bishops, and
has many features differing from those types which are more familiar
to us. It was founded by the Norwegian Earl Ronald in 1137, and was
designed and constructed by the Norwegian Kol. Here were buried many
Scandinavian jarls and bishops, but their tombs have disappeared.
There is a fine nave of eight bays, which is of the Norman character,
and a choir of six bays, screened off so as to form a parish church.
The piers are all round and massive, and the arches round-headed, both
in the main arcade and in the triforium and clerestory. There is some
fine Norman arcading, with intersecting arches on the side walls. The
church is dedicated to St. Magnus, and is 226 feet long by 56 feet
wide. The original choir ended in an apse, but it was lengthened by
Bishop Stewart in 1511, and the west end of the nave was finished by
Bishop Reid in 1540. Different coloured stone is used extensively in
the building, principally the red and yellow sandstone, and these
varied hues add greatly to the architectural effect. The three west
doors are particularly fine. The tower has fifteenth-century windows,
and the bells were given by Bishop Maxwell at the end of the fifteenth
century. Near the church are the ruins of the Bishop's Palace, where
King Haco died in 1263, and also the Earl's Palace, which, after the
incorporation of the islands with Scotland, was assigned to the
bishops for a residence. The church has been much restored during the
last century.
GLOSSARY OF ARCHITECTURAL TERMS
_Abacus._--The uppermost division of the capital, or head of a
column, originally square and plain, in later styles more or
less decorated with moulding, and in the Early English and
Decorated periods generally circular or polygonal. In classic
architecture it supported the horizontal superstructure of the
entablature, but in Gothic architecture the arch rises directly
from it.
_Apse._--The round or polygonal end of a chancel.
_Architrave._--The lowest division of the entablature in
classic architecture; ornamental moulding round the exterior
curve of an arch or round the openings of doors and windows,
etc.
_Ashlar._--Hewn stone.
_Aumbrey or Almery._--A cupboard for containing the sacred
vessels.
_Ball-Flower Moulding._--Ornament resembling a ball enclosed in
a globular flower of three petals.
_Baluster._--A small turned wooden pillar, generally circular.
_Bay._--The compartment of a church formed by the buttresses or
pilasters on the walls, the main arches or pillars, the ribs of
the vaulting, or other features which separate the building
into corresponding portions.
_Campanile._--A bell tower.
_Cavetto._--A concave moulding of a quarter of a circle, used
in classical and other styles of architecture.
_Chamfer._--To cut off angles.
_Clerestory or Clear-Story._--An upper storey, or row of
windows in a Gothic church; so called to distinguish it from
the blind-storey, or triforium.